Alternatives To The APEC Agenda conference

The
September Leaders Summit won’t be the only conference in
Auckland to focus on APEC. The APEC Monitoring Group’s
Alternatives to The APEC Agenda will be held from September
10-12 in Auckland.

Alternatives to The APEC Agenda will
bring together a range of prominent local and international
critics of the global free market economic model. It will
focus on concrete strategies and genuine alternatives to
APEC’s free trade and investment agenda. The conference is
supported by GATT Watchdog, the NZ Trade Union Federation,
Corso, and the Campaign Against Foreign Control of
Aotearoa.

“This forum is the culmination of a year-long
programme of education and action to expose and oppose
APEC’s failed free market, free trade and investment
approach,” said spokesperson Aziz Choudry.

Since it was
founded at the 1994 Jakarta APEC Summit, members of the APEC
Monitoring Group have participated in parallel NGO and
union forums opposed to APEC in Kyoto/Osaka (1995), Manila
(1996), Vancouver (1997) and Kuala Lumpur (1998).

The APEC
Monitoring Group has held a series of alternative public
meetings, forums, rallies and workshops throughout the
country to coincide with all the major New Zealand APEC
meetings during 1999.

“Unlike the APEC meetings, our
forum will not be an extravagant and vacuous gabfest and its
main achievements will not be measured in taxpayer-funded
pre-election photo opportunities”, said Mr Choudry.

“APEC
is in a state of virtual paralysis and will struggle to limp
on into the new millennium. But the economic policy package
it promotes needs to be taken seriously, especially as it
leads into the WTO. One of our primary goals is to help
people understand the link between APEC’s goals and the
destructive economic policies which have devastated this
country and peoples’ lives over the past 15 years, and to
promote discussion on alternative policies and strategies to
achieve economic, social and Treaty justice.”

The forum
ends with a rally against APEC at 4.00 on 12 September, the
first day of the Leaders Summit. (Meet Albert Park Band
Rotunda)

Further details are available on the APEC
Monitoring Group’s Website –

Alternatives To The APEC Agenda
starts with a public meeting at the Methodist Mission, 370
Queen St Auckland, 7.30 pm, Friday 10 SeptemberThe
Conference itself takes place from 9am at the University of
Auckland Conference Centre, 26 Symonds St, Auckland

A
media conference has been arranged for 3pm, Friday 10
September at 370 Queen St (Methodist Mission). Speakers and
organisers will be available for media
interviews.

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